South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

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South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/21/08 at 3:29pm

I have family (mom, grandparents, aunts, and uncle) coming into town this weekend. They really want to see a Broadway show.

I've been told that "first-time" Broadway-goers should experience a show with great spectacle (Lion King, Wicked, etc). To some extent, I agree. (They aren't madly in love with the theater, and likely will be more excited by fancy sets and costumes vs. theatricality, etc).

HOWEVER, I'm a bit selfish and reeeeaaallllly want to see South Pacific.

Is there enough spectacle/etc in South Pacific to make a few non-theater-goers love their first Broadway experience? Or do you even think the "spectacle" argument is a decent one to make when deciding whether or not to take someone (who's unfamiliar with Broadway) to a show?

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/21/08 at 5:04pm

In all honestly I think you should choose something else. South Pacific is amazing, but you could just watch the movie. I highly advise not seeing Young Frankenstein, you either love it or hate it, and if you hate it and it's your first show, yea...

Like you mentioned, there's WICKED which unless the people are extremely picky you can't go wrong with it. I haven't seen it yet but Jersey Boys is supposed to be amazing, but also that's not really so "Broadwayish", it's amazing, but not Broadway spectacular. I would say go with WICKED.

2008: Feb. 18- Rent, Feb. 19- Curtains, April 18- Xanadu, April 22- Wicked, April 26- Legally Blonde, May 31- Wicked, June 13- The Little Mermaid, June 28- Wicked and Young Frankenstein, July 2- The Little Mermaid, July 6- A Chorus Line and Legally Blonde, August 16- Xanadu, September 13- Legally Blonde and 13, September 28- Xanadu and Spring Awakening, Oct. 12-GYPSY and [title of show], Oct. 19- Hairspray & Legally Blonde, Nov. 9- Wicked and 13, Dec. 14-13, Dec. 26- Billy Elliot, 2009: Jan 1- Shrek, Jan 2- 13 and Wicked, Jan 4- 13, Feb 17- In The Heights, Feb 19- Billy Elliot, Feb 22- Sweeney Todd (tour), March 28- Mary Poppins, April 4- Mamma Mia!, April 15- Jersey Boys (on tour), April 25- next to normal & 9 to 5 May 1- Billy Elliot, May 3- Spelling Bee (tour), May 8- Chicago, May 21- Wicked, June 6- Everyday Rapture, June 23- The Wiz, June 25- Hair July 15- Shrek, August 9- Wicked, September 7- Rock of Ages, October 11- Next To Normal, October 23- The Marvelous Wonderettes, November 7- Ragtime November 29- Dreamgirls, December 25- Billy Elliot, December 30- Finian's Rainbow, 2010: January 9- Bye Bye Birdie, January 16- Memphis February 17- The Phantom of The Opera, February 18- God of Carnage, March 7- Billy Elliot, March 31- American Idiot

Updated On: 10/21/08 at 05:04 PM

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/21/08 at 7:02pm

I've a feeling you've posted on the wrong board! we had 'South Pacific' here in London 4 or 5 years ago but nowhere near as fantastic a production as that that is in New York now.
I say take them to 'Young Frankenstein' - a good old fashioned Broadway comedy musical!

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/21/08 at 9:46pm

Young Frankenstein is closing in early 2009, it's closing for a reason, a lot of people hate it. Some people like it (MamasDoin'Fine for example)but a lot of people hate it. If that was my first theatre experience I would not love the theatre the way I do and would probably have never discovered this site. Don't take them to Young Frankenstein.

There's WICKED, Hairspray which is now closing November 2nd, and I don't know how I didn't think of this before... Billy Elliot.

But, I ask you as a huge theatre fan, don't ruin a first experience by taking people to Young Frankenstein, I don't not like musicals but it was just dreadful.

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/21/08 at 11:47pm

South Pacific is leaps and bounds better than its film predecessor, and I recommend you see the production. It's a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic that has been staged into absolute brilliance. Wicked can basically be seen anywhere in the world, but this South Pacific cannot (with its intimacy and subtle intensity), and likely will never, be seen in every corner of the globe.

How to properly use its/it's: Its is the possessive. It's is the contraction for it is...

Updated On: 10/21/08 at 11:47 PM

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:35am

I agree 1000% - it is a truly stunning production. I don't normally like 'South Pacific' but this production-well, take a kleenex! -and thats just for the sumptuous orchestrations.

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/22/08 at 11:35am

Its goo to take people to something they are already a little familiar with so South Pacific makes sense.

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/22/08 at 11:53am

The film of South Pacific put me off the stage show for years - I still don't love it, but I wouldn't discount it just because you could watch the movie instead. It's probably a good balance between the spectacle and the theatricality and, as ThankstoPhantom says, I wouldn't bother taking them to anything they could just as easily see on tour...

Updated On: 10/22/08 at 11:53 AM

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/22/08 at 12:22pm

The film version of the show played in a special presentation at Londons Dominion Theatre for nearly 4yrs from 1965 to 1968. The soundtrack to the movie is the album that has the longest run in the history of the music charts- 70 weeks, a record that has yet to be broken!
The original show opened at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 1951 (Sean Connery in the chorus line!) and ran for 2 years.

#10

re: South Pacific as a first Broadway experience?

Posted: 10/23/08 at 1:27pm

I would say take them. It will show them that there is more to Broadway then Wicked and Lion King etc.

But, keep in mind that Hairspray is closing early January.

"If you try to shag my husband while I am still alive, I will shove the art of motorcycle maintenance up your rancid little Cu**. That's a good dear" Tom Stoppard's Rock N Roll

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